Perfection is a problem
Here’s what we see happening all the time.
- We learn that our passwords have been compromised, or are re-used or weak;
- We look at our looong password list and try to fix it;
- After a few attempts, we get overwhelmed and give up.
Here’s a better approach.
Set aside half an hour. Make a list of your critical accounts:
- Email accounts
- Financial accounts
- Health accounts
- Backup/sync services (e.g. iCloud, Backblaze, Microsoft OneDrive, Dropbox)
For each account, make sure you are using:
- UNIQUE passwords that are reasonably long (longer = safer, but harder to type). DO NOT REUSE passwords. (This means you, Linda!).
- Two factor authentication
And be sure you have a legible, dated record of the complete login (not just the password, but also the site and username).
Once that’s accomplished, you can peck away at the others when and if you want to, but at least the essential points of vulnerability will be covered.
YES!, they announced a new MacBook Air
Many of us have been waiting (and waiting . . .) for a new version of the Macbook Air to be announced. Today, Apple announced a new Macbook Air (as rumored) with better pretty-much-everything, but a higher price ($1199) . If you need even more power, they also announced a new 13″ Macbook Pro ($1299). Orderable next month.
If you’re shopping for a new Mac, check out How to Buy a Mac: the computers dot mom guide. Our best shopping advice for free, no appointment required!
Apple also announced a a bunch of improvements to the software for all their devices. Some of the most intriguing:
- Medication tracking
- Fitness tracking on the iPhone, no Apple Watch required
- Better photo sharing
- Text messages will be editable, un-sendable, and can be marked unread
Full analysis on Macrumors here.
Latest Video Tutorials
And here are more new videos on our YouTube channel, always free:
Gmail:
How to Clean Out Gmail, quickly and easily (using filters)
Odds and Ends:
How to Password Protect a Word, Excel or PowerPoint File
Google’s Ongoing Confusion
For what feels like the fiftieth time, Google is reorganizing their communications tools, merging Google Meet and Duo. (Article here). The result will be a nice alternative to Zoom, Skype and Teams; most useful if you have an Android phone.
Upcoming Vacation
I’ll be out of the office from June 16-27th but will be monitoring email and will have coverage for any urgent issues.
